On last day for classes, Lincoln School honors 36 eighth-grade grads

Lincoln will revert to traditional school calendar in fall

Photographs by KEVIN SWANK / Courier &amp; Press
Kardae Langley, a kindergarten student at Lincoln School, second from left, holds a sign as he and other students and teachers honor the eighth-grade students as they march through the halls on their way to their recognition ceremony at Lincoln School on Friday morning. This is the last school year that Lincoln will be a year-round school. Starting in the fall of 2013 it will follow the same calendar as other EVSC schools.

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

KEVIN SWANK / Courier &amp; Press
Eighth-grade students are honored by other students and teachers as they march through the halls on their way to the eighth-grade recognition ceremony at Lincoln School on Friday morning.$RETURN$$RETURN$

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

KEVIN SWANK / Courier &amp; Press
Angel Mays reacts to cheers from the audience as she goes to get her report card during the eighth-grade recognition ceremony at Lincoln School on Friday morning.$RETURN$$RETURN$

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

KEVIN SWANK / Courier &amp; Press
Principal Ronnetha Darrett addresses the students and crowd during the eighth-grade recognition ceremony at Lincoln School on Friday morning. This is the last school year that Lincoln will be a year-round school. Starting in the fall of 2013 it will follow the same calendar as other EVSC schools.

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

KEVIN SWANK / Courier &amp; Press
Benisha Brown, shakes hands with Lincoln Principal Ronnetha Darrett as she goes to get her report card during the eighth-grade recognition ceremony at Lincoln School on Friday morning.

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

KEVIN SWANK / Courier &amp; Press
Lincoln School PTA volunteer Becky Kelle, right, sets up pieces of cake as her granddaughter Kaylee Rumsey, left, gets ready to help during the eighth-grade recognition ceremony at Lincoln School on Friday morning.

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

KEVIN SWANK / Courier &amp; Press
Cameron Smith, second from left, gathers with relatives for a picture following the eighth-grade recognition ceremony at Lincoln School on Friday morning. From left are his grandmother Rebecca Robinson, mother Sarah Brewer, third from left, great-grandmother Betty Johnson, second from right, and his aunt Deeamber Brewer is taking the picture. This is the last school year that Lincoln will be a year-round school. Starting in the fall of 2013 it will follow the same calendar as other EVSC schools.

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

Dennis Burris, second from left, puts a necklace on his daughter Doniecia Burris, center, after Doniecia was given the gift for receiving straight A’s for the school year. Looking on at right is Assistant Principal Douglas Chinn. Timothy Schmits also had straight A’s and received a set of dog-tags.

Kevin Swank, The Evansville Courier &amp; Press

EVANSVILLE - At 8:45 a.m. Friday, the halls at Lincoln School echoed with shouts of encouragement to the graduating eighth-grade class as the graduates marched the two floors of the school before parading into the gym for a ceremony.

Students in grades K-7 lined the halls and held congratulatory signs and posters, while others loudly clapped for the 36 departing students.

Friday was the last day of the school year at Lincoln, and also the last year that the school will operate on a balanced, or year-round, calendar. Lincoln has run on a year-round calendar since 1996, but will return to the traditional calendar for the 2013-14 school year.

The graduation ceremony included the announcing of names, presentation of certificates and gifts and a celebration with cake

and punch. Each student received a gift bag filled with edible goodies and a wallet or notepad. The items were donated by the Lincoln PTA.

Principal Ronnetha Darrett admitted to family, friends and students that she struggled with the theme of her speech, but finally decided on "change" because she feels it's a word and meaning that is dear to her heart and represents Lincoln. Darrett continued by giving specific examples of positive changes in the eighth graders.

"Change is a word that is liked by some and hated by others," she said. "Change is a word that, depending on how the person looks at it, can be a positive thing or a bad thing. For me, change is a word that is unavoidable if you want to see growth ... Change is not a bad thing, change is a wonderful thing."

Dennis Burris rushed to the gym floor to help his daughter, Doniecia Burris, put on the necklace holding a Lincoln School charm that she received in recognition for earning straight A's all four semesters. Doniecia, 14, will attend Bosse or Central in the fall and wants to be a lawyer and a beautician in the future. She said she's happy to be finished with eighth grade. With four kids still at Lincoln, Dennis Burris said it "feels real good" to have his daughter graduate with honors.

Finishing her inaugural year as principal, Darrett said it feels amazing to have her first group of eighth graders graduating.

"We wanted to make it really special for them and all about the kids," she said.

The decision for Lincoln, a K-8 school, to start classes on Aug. 14 like the other Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. buildings was voted on at the May 6 school board meeting. Lincoln will also offer 15 days of optional extended learning. That "Jump Start" session is July 24-Aug. 13. And the June intersession remains June 10-21.

Each calendar has 180 school days, but the balanced schedule Lincoln utilized has the days spread out all year, with vacation breaks throughout, as well as optional educational intersessions. Analysis was conducted on the effectiveness of Lincoln's balanced calendar through parental opinions gathered at site council meetings, phone surveys, a door-to-door survey, and a paper survey sent to families that had not responded to the others.

When it was time for a decision, Darrett said the parents voiced their opinions and the majority wanted the traditional calendar.

"And we're for whatever the parents want," she said.

Tarrika Owsley, PTA recording secretary and popcorn chair lady, enjoys volunteering and spending time at her daughter's school. Owsley is happy that the school is going back to a traditional calendar because she likes it. Owsley doesn't believe learning loss occurs during summer vacation, especially since her 8-year-old daughter, Ja'Niaya Birdsong, loves to read.

"She's a top reader," Owsley said proudly. "She doesn't have any problems in reading, it's her favorite subject, and she likes math. She basically gets straight As."

The school's PTA first vice president, Becky Kelle, assisted with the graduation Friday and also has a granddaughter, Kaylee Rumsey, at Lincoln who will be an eighth-grader this fall. Kelle admitted the year-round calendar was convenient because they often travel to Florida to visit Rumsey's parents, but she didn't mind the switch to the traditional calendar.

"I'm just happy to have her here because it's a great school, the staff is wonderful, and they treat our kids great here," she said. "I've never been happier at a school. They really go all out for our kids."

On Friday, Rumsey, 13, finished her second year at Lincoln. She didn't have a preference whether the school should change calendars.

"It's going to be quite an interesting experience next year being on the same calendar as all the other kids," she said.